Form-holding device for caps or like headwear



Sept. A G I FORM HOLDING DEVICE FOR CAPS OR LIKE HEA DWEAR v Filed Feb. 20, 1951 I nvenior: 04121910532521 Gag 21/9,

by WW Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES AUGUSTIN GAGNE, or CENTRAL FALLS, ,RI-IODE IYESLAQND.

FORM-HOLDING- DEvIcn FOR :oArs on LIKE EADW'EA'R Application filed February 20, 1931; rserial mi. 517,258. 7'

This invention relates to form-holding devices for caps and like head wear.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, I have disclosed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of a mans or boys cap showing positioned therein, in dotted lines, the form-holding device of my 10 invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the structure shown in Fig. 1 upon the line 2-2 thereof; and

Fig. 3'is a view of the form-holding device detached from the cap. I

The cap to which my invention is particu larly applicable is that type thereof which is generally made of'woven or knitted material and is soft so that it will not sustain itself in upon the head so as to overhang the visor in front (if any) and also to overhang the hat or sweat band entirely around the head. It has been customary heretofore in the marketing of such hats to stuff a-formless quantity of tissue paper or the like inside the cap so that it will retain its flattened form when in boxes in transportation to retail stores and upon the counters of the stores or in windows. Such a device is a mere makeshift and is open to numerous objections. So far as I am aware, no device for this particular purpose has been provided, and the object of my invention is to provide a form-holding or formpreserving device that can be readily inserted in the cap by the manufacturer so as to be sold With the hat and Worn by the user, and which can, if desired, be shifted bythe wearer, from one of his caps to another. Such a device must obviously be of the minimum weight and must also be flexible and yielding so that the cap will not be stiff or of unusual appearance when Worn, and preferably'it should be such as to fit any size of cap. 7

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the band of the cap is indicated at 1, the visor at 2, andthe top of the cap at 3. The visor obviously may be of stiff material or may be of the same material as the top of the extended position like a derby, but collapses cap, thisinvolving no part of my-inventio'n. The form-holding or form-retaining deviceis of general application to caps or like-articles of head wear. The form-holding or form retaining device according to the pre- 5 ferred embodiment of the'invention, which-is the only one illustrated but to which my "invention is'not limited, is a spiralsp'ring, pref: erably'of steel-wire that may be of .02 inch diameter having a suitable number of coils, Bo as, for example, five' coils per} inch-in its normal or non-distendedcondition: The said coil spring maybe of; any suitable diameter, and while it' may be of uniform diameter throughout, 1 desirably make the" Sarasota:

about one and one eighth inches diameter at the'part'thereof which is of greatest..diame-- ter, a substantialpart of the" deviceat the I middle thereof being of maximum diameter 7 and tapering therefrom forasubstantial dis t ance toward both ends and thereafter being preferably- 0f uniform minimum diameter, such, or example, as -three quarters of :an inch. o i WYhile obviously my'invention is not li'm 1'5 ited' to any'p'articular sizeor length of coil spring, and Whiledifi'erent sized coils might be usedin different size caps, thenature of the coilspring is such that it readily adjusts itself to any size cap. I-have found that a total length of coil ofsubstantiallythirty inches is suitable for any size cap. The middle part of the coil spring, which is of uni form diameter, may be substantially fifteen inches in length, andthe tapering part at each side ofthe middle may be of about two and a half inches and the remainder'may be of the smallest diameter.

Desirably I provide a core piece tobe inserted in one end of the coil so as to protrude therefrom and the other end of the coil may then be wound thereon as indicated. The coil spring is represented in the several figf V ures at 4', the part thereof of largest diameter being at'the front, as shown; the tapering, portions are indicated at 5-5; and the two I end portions of smallest diameter are indicated at 6+6. The core or like part is indicated at 7. This may be of aluminum or 101) 2Q f i i 7 1,877,452

some other light material and is preferably v hollow. I V The ends of the. coil are brought together and connected by means of the core 7, or

5 otherwise, and the entire device is then inserted inside the cap above thehat or sweat band 1, occupying the position mostclearly indicated in Fig. 2. The coil spring, which I a is sufficiently long to accommodate the largest U size cap, will automatically contract or compress to accommodate itself to the size of cap f in which it is placed. The form-holding dev I V vice prevents'the-top'part3 ofthe cap om 'fiopping formlessly and serves to hold the F I V 5 1, said top part of the cap sulficientlyelevated above the'headito make the cap'verycomfort able ndairy, and togive itv the'best possible appearance. H r s A r e 'Having-thus described one illustrative em-' go bodimentof my invention, it is to be under- I stood thatalthough specific te'rms are em- 7 ployed, they are ,used ina' generic and de v 7' scriptive-sensea'nd notfor purposesg oilimitation, the" scope of the invention beingset forth intheiollowingvclaim} y e A form-retaining or formeholdinghollow device for a cap, comprisingia light spring wire closely coiledthroughout its entire extent and of suflicient length entirely to en compass the head of the Wearerandwhen po-ff sitioned inside the ca'p beyond the sweat band i thereof tolie entirely about the cap, thereby todistend the topportion of the cap througha y L out and: to cause it to lie flat-'uponthe head,

the said .coilfhaving a part of ma Ximum' di-' l ameter. adapted to be placed at the front of the cap in positionto overlie the visor thereof,

' the coilsdecreasingin diameteritoward both ends of the said wire device, and a light core 7 member adapted to engage both ends offthe 4' 7 said wire; device and to retainthem in fixed relationto'eachiother, I 1 c In testimony whereof, I have signed my name'to this specification.

V AUG sTnv A E 

